English is filled with a smorgasbord of foreign words and phrases that
have entered our language from many sources -- some from as far back as
the Celts. A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi," which tells the story
of how many of these expressions came to be commonly used in English,
will both amaze and amuse language lovers everywhere. You'll be
fascinated to learn, for instance, that . . .

ketchup began life as a spicy pickled fish sauce called koechiap
in seventeenth-century China?

honcho came from the Japanese word hancho, which
means squad chief? The word was brought to the United States sometime
during the 1940s by soldiers who had served in Japan.

dungarees comes from the Hindi word dungri, the
thick cotton cloth used for sails and tents in India?

Organized alphabetically for easy reference, A Certain "Je Ne Sais
Quoi" tells the little-known origin of some of these thousands of
foreign words and phrases -- from aficionado to zeitgeist. Inside,
you'll find translations, definitions, origins, and lively descriptions
of each item's evolution into our everyday discourse. With this
whimsical little book, you'll be ready to throw out a foreign word or
phrase at your next party, lending your conversation with, well, a
certain je ne sais quoi.